St. Nshan Monastery (Kuku)
St. Nshan or Hazarabyurats Monastery was a ruinous Armenian monastery located near the village of Kuku (Shahbuz District) of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.[1] It was located on the slope of a hill, approximately 700m north of the village.[1][2]
| St. Nshan Monastery | |
|---|---|
| Hazarabyurats Monastery | |
Սուրբ Նշան վանք; Հազարաբյուրաց վանք | |
| Location | Kükü |
| Country | Azerbaijan |
| Denomination | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Founded | 13th century |
| Architecture | |
| Demolished | 2003–2009 |
History
The monastery was founded in the middle of the 13th century and was renovated in the 15th and 17th centuries.[2][3]
Architecture
The monastery was a domed structure with three apses, four vestries, and a doorway on the west that opened onto a porch. There were Armenian inscriptions on the interior. A vaulted structured to the west of the church was probably serving as a library.[2][3]
Destruction
The monastery complex was in ruins in the late Soviet period.[1] The ruinous complex was in the process of further destruction in May 2003 and it was completely erased by April 26, 2009, as documented by Caucasus Heritage Watch.[1]
References
- Khatchadourian, Lori; Smith, Adam T.; Ghulyan, Husik; Lindsay, Ian (2022). Silent Erasure: A Satellite Investigation of the Destruction of Armenian Heritage in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies: Ithaca, NY. pp. 410–413. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2022.
- Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 151.
- Ayvazian, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, pp. 105–108.